It is well known to use pallets for the transportation and storage of goods. Palletized goods are typically maintained in position above a floor for handling by forklift equipment, i.e., through the insertion of forklift tines into channels formed in the pallet or through engagement with the undersurface of the top deck of the pallet.
Pallets have traditionally been formed of wood. Wood pallets, however, have many disadvantages. For example, they are subject to breakage and are therefore reusable only over a short period of time. Wooden pallets are also difficult to maintain in a sanitary condition, thereby limiting their usability in applications in which sanitation is important, such as in food-handling applications.
In the past decades, with the growth of the plastics industry, a wide variety of plastics have been investigated to determine their suitability for use in producing pallets. Plastic pallets can easily be molded and are stronger and lighter in weight than wooden pallets. They can also be formed from materials capable of being recycled. Furthermore, plastic pallets are more durable than wooden pallets.
Despite their advantages, plastic pallets have only been used to a limited degree. Although plastic pallets heretofore have been generally durable, have been reusable over an extended period of time and have been easy to maintain in a sanitary condition, they have suffered from the disadvantage that they are generally more expensive than wooden pallets. Although manufacturing costs are reflected in the cost of plastic pallets, a principal reason that plastic pallets cost considerably more than comparable wooden pallets is that they require a given amount of a relatively expensive plastic material for a desired measure of pallet strength.
Another significant issue with plastic pallets is the tendency of payload to slip on the plastic pallet and of the pallet to move either relative to forklift tines or a transport surface, (i.e., the floor of a transport vehicle). Obviously, if payload slips on a plastic pallet, or if the pallet tends to slide relative to forklift tines or a transport surface, the commercial applicability of the pallet will be limited.
In view of the above, a need exists for a plastic pallet having a high strength to weight ratio, reduced cost of manufacture, and an anti-slip design. The structures presented herein are intended to address these needs.